Hope Rekindled
by Kenji Hiroshi
Summary: In a world where darkness reigns and little hope remains, two Saiyans, with more than a little help from a certain genius inventor, are determined to see things right. Rated T for violence. Chapter 2 is up!
1. Chapter 1

Hey there! It's been a long time since I posted anything on this site, though the urge has been there for quite some time now, believe me. For those who have read through my prior work – A New Hope for the Future particularly – you'll know that all my DBZ works have been set in the rather bleak timeline that is home to Future Trunks and his mentor Gohan. This one is no different and can be considered a spiritual successor and re-working of the aforementioned work. To any old readers, thank you for your continued support, and to any new readers, thank you for taking the time to read this story. I hope you'll take the time to make a few comments at the end. Anyway, I've waffled on enough. Onto the story!

* * *

Gohan awoke feeling refreshed and rejuvenated for the first time in a long while. For the first time since his father died he could look ahead with some hope for a better tomorrow. Bulma had just thrown him a serious life-line and he was going to grasp it with both hands - well, he'd grasp it with one hand, at any rate. The androids had already seen to his other arm. That particular outcome had been the secondary driving force behind his current mission, Bulma being the primary one. As he stepped across an empty room in his father's old colours he thought back to the last conversation he had had with Bulma and how that magnificent mind had once again placed salvation within arms reach...

_"Gohan? Gohan! Are you in here? Where has that man got to?"_

_She rolled her eyes. If he wasn't here... then there was only one other place Gohan would be. And she had a feeling she would find her son there too. Gohan and Trunks where making use of an artificial gravity room underneath the main lawn of the Capsule Corporation building as she had suspected. The two Saiyan hybrids fought across the empty space, Trunks with more difficulty than the larger Gohan despite the loss of the latter's left arm, who seemed to glide as opposed to the clumsy steps of his sparring partner._

_"Hey! Dinner is ready, you two!"_

_Bulma's voice sounded through the rooms intercom and all activity inside stopped, which Trunks tried to take advantage of, but his mentor saw his clumsy movements a mile off. Gohan side-stepped Trunks' attempted lunging attack, sticking out his foot to trip the latter up, and looked up towards the room where Bulma stood as his student tumbled to the floor in a heap. Bulma turned down the gravity to normal levels and Trunks, who was in the process of returning to his feet, fell forward onto his knees as the weight was quite literally lifted from his shoulders._

_"Good work today." Gohan said, helping Trunks up. "Rest up and we'll hit the training again before bed."_

_With that the two joined Bulma above ground for dinner. Gohan wolfed down a bowl of rice and curried pork with a level of speed and gluttony only a Saiyan could accomplish, and Trunks mimicked his mentor, with Bulma looking on with a mixture of surprise and disgust. One would think she was used to this sort of behaviour. She had known Goku, whose eating habits put even Gohan to shame, since he was a small boy. As the feast quickly vanished and the duo declared themselves stuffed she decided it best to tell them why she had prepared such a huge spread for them in the first place._

_"You know I've been working on a number of contingency plans to deal with the androids, right?"_

_The excitement in her voice was apparent even as she brokered a topic such as the androids._

_"I know you rarely sleep." Trunks supplied as he sipped a bottle of cola._

_Gohan nodded his head, both in recognition of what Bulma said and what Trunks added to the conversation. He knew Bulma was working on a number of options, some of which where... well some where just outrageous, if he wanted to be truthful about it. Time travel? Yeah right, he thought. Shut-down remote? Chance would be a fine thing. Not that he'd tell her that. He knew better than to annoy her else he risk a frying pan upside his head. There was one option however Gohan was banking on. The option he was putting his faith in was the spaceship that Bulma had been building underneath their feet in secret. The gravity room they had just been in was part of that selfsame ship and Bulma had been working on it 'round the clock for years now, on her own mostly, to avoid any possibility of the androids somehow learning of its existence._

_"The spaceship is done!" _

_She declared this with a big smile, leading __Gohan to slap the tabletop with his right hand in reply!_

_"That's great Bulma! I can finally go to Namek and wish everyone back."_

That was how Gohan came to be travelling through space at any rate. What he didn't expect however was a stowaway who thought he was stealthier than he was. Gohan opened the door leading into the storage department which Bulma had generously packed with all the supplies he could possibly need, and then some. He made a show of looking for something to eat until he reached the green tarp under which he suspected his student, Trunks, was hiding. He pulled it free in one motion and exposed a frightened youth with purplish hair dressed in a Capsule Corporation jacket cowering near the back of the container.

"Agh!"

"Really? You stow away? You could have said to me that you wanted to come with me, you know. I would have happily taken you with me, Trunks. But this... Oh, boy. Your mother is going to kill me!"

"You think she didn't plan for this!?" Trunks exclaimed as he shot to his feet. "Look at all this food! Even with your appetite there's more than enough food here to feed us both for weeks and then some!"

Now that he mentioned it... there was a lot of food here. Every inch of free wall and space had been fitted with shelves or containers filled to bursting with all manner of food one could imagine. There was a good chance that, prior to take-off, this ship had been the best stocked place food-wise on the entire planet! The elder Saiyan picked out a tin of ham and tossed it lazily up and down as he looked at his student. He noticed the emotion in that young face, the pang of regret and wish to make himself useful, and Gohan's heart melted. Finally he sighed, resigning himself to defeat in this particular instance. He saw too much of himself in the boy.

"Oh, fine. C'mon! I don't suppose you know how to cook do you?"

"Me? Cook?" Trunks answered, dumbfounded.

"Great. There goes that plan. I roast a mean wrack of ribs but nothing much more than that. You like pork right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Good! Now to get the scolding of the century out of the way. Your mother makes mine look reasonable."

"You're going to call her!?"

"I can't very well **not** call her, can I? Trust me. This is the best solution for all involved."

"... I guess..."

Gohan approached the computer on the wall farthest from him and brought up the display, trying his best to look brave, despite anticipating what could only be the untapped fury of a mother whose son had just knowingly defied her to journey with his mentor. Bulma' face filled the television screen and a tongue lashing of epic proportions greeted Gohan! He barely got a word in edge-wise. Apparently, in no uncertain terms, he was an idiot and her son was a bigger one for following Gohan in the first place, and if anything happened to her little boy Gohan was going to get it good. He visibly gulped at that last bit.

"You hear that Trunks?" Gohan asked after Bulma hung up on him.

"...Yeah..."

"Stay out of trouble or you'll land me in it."

"What trouble am I going to run into on Namek? My mother says that its a peaceful place."

Gohan couldn't help but chuckle at that. His journey on Namek as a child had been anything **but** peaceful. Frieza and his goons had saw to that quite well. He just hoped nothing on that scale happened this time around or Bulma really would kill him. Oh, well. He could take comfort in the fact that, should the worst happen, he was light-years away from the woman who was threatening his life with Earth's hardest frying pan.

"We may as well make constructive use of our time Trunks. We're going to pick our training up where we left off. Come at me with everything! But be careful not to break anything."

"Hey, Gohan? What are we going to wish for?"

That was a good question. Gohan had brainstormed this particular conundrum at length with Bulma, and they'd come to a rough conclusion. If Gohan remembered things correctly the Namekian dragon could only restore one person at a time. With that in-mind his first wish would be the resurrection of Piccolo which, in turn, would restore the Dragon Balls of Earth as well. The second wish would be for the revival of Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince would be burning with a desire for vengeance and, regardless of his past or methods, his power would be sorely needed against the mechanical duo. Gohan was hopeful that, with the Super Saiyan Vegeta at his side alongside Trunks and Piccolo, the four of them would be able to pull through and defeat the androids. The only thing they couldn't figure out was the final wish, but that was a bridge they could cross at a later time. As he told this to Trunks the younger Saiyan grew steadily more excited, particularly with the mention of his father.

"What was he like?"

"He was a complicated man. Powerful and prideful without a doubt... and possessing of a fierce will and determination. I see a lot of him in you."

"You think?"

"I do. And I'll tell you all about it later. For now though we have training to do. Let's go!"

End.

* * *

At present I'm planning to have this particular story cover five chapters; that is if all goes according to plan, at any rate. That will cover the "Android Saga" if you will, though I won't rule out "specials" and the like. I also won't rule out additional chapters exploring what happens afterwards, though I'll say now that it won't be as disjointed nor as rushed as the work that preceded this one, hopefully. Looking back on it I realized the faults of that particular work and this is very much an attempt to better that particular story with new direction and ideas, not to mention a new writing-style I picked up during my time on various fanon wiki's . Thanks once again for reading; any advice, tips, or comments are greatly appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys. Kenji here with another chapter of Hope Rekindled! I've also got some exciting news for you: the next chapter I'll be releasing will be one of those "specials" I mentioned at the end of the prior chapter. What will it entail? Who knows! To my continued readership all I can say is thank you, and to any new readers thank you for reading my story. It's much appreciated. Anyway, I'm waffling now. Onto the story!

* * *

The training was nothing short of brutal.

Gohan had adopted many of Piccolo's more harsh training methods and applied them to his own solitary training over the years in his quest to grow stronger, and now Trunks was being subjected to that same brutal regime as their spaceship travelled through the vastness of space. The gravity function of their spaceship helped push their limits in new ways and for the first time in a very long while they could train without fear of attracting unwanted attention in the form of inexhaustible androids.

That was one fear Gohan was hoping to remove permanently through this trip.

Their days where spent in gruelling combat. They rested when exhaustion took its toll and ate when they where hungry, but all the time in-between was spent training at ever increasing levels of gravity. Gohan took the increase without much trouble – even at the higher multiplications – whilst Trunks struggled, pushing himself constantly; though this was exactly what Gohan was hoping for. The more Trunks did so the more determined he would grow and when things became too difficult he would grow angry, and anger was the spark Gohan was hoping he could fan into an epic blaze in the form of the Super Saiyan transformation. Anger at his own powerlessness was what first triggered his own ascension to the Super Saiyan level. He just hoped Trunks could replicate it.

"Whew! I think we'll call it a day, Trunks. I am beat."

Trunks, apparently, agreed. As soon as the gravity returned to normal he fell forward onto his hands and knees, sweat pouring down his face. You'd have thought he had just stepped out of the shower!

"I can't feel... my legs..." Trunks declared.

"Yeah, I may have pushed you a little too hard there." Gohan himself was breathing heavily too though.

"But gosh, you've come a long way! You couldn't have kept this pace a few days ago, no way. I'm impressed."

"Thanks... But I'm still not there. How did you first transform?"

"I saw Piccolo and Krillin murdered right before my eyes and there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it. My father did the same thing on Namek, you know. The pain of seeing something that unfair turned to an unimaginable rage and then the dam broke, with ower suddenly flooding through me. I just remember that pain; how unfair it all was, and then it happens again. The power boils over."

"Do you think I'll ever be fit to do it?"

The sincerity of the question caught Gohan off-guard a little.

"I do. You just need to find the right motivation is all."

Trunks adopted a far-away look at the mention of motivation. The Super Saiyan transformation seemed to be triggered by a surge of emotion in response to a tragic loss, or in response to some great need. At least that was the conclusion he drew from his mentor's explanation. He really needed to help Gohan defeat the androids so he can the great need part covered, but the only thing Trunks had to lose was Gohan and-

"Mother...! I hope you're safe."

All he could do was hope. All any of them could do was hope.

"I'm sure she's fine." Gohan claimed. "Anyway, off to bed. If I'm any judge we'll be arriving shortly."

As it turned out Gohan's gut instinct wasn't far off. Two days later Trunks and he where approaching what could very well be salvation... or continued damnation.

As planet Namek came into full view on the exterior cameras Gohan flicked the necessary switches to initiate descent, even as he wrestled down the feelings of excitement coursing through him. Atmospheric entry produced more than enough turbulence but Gohan, unlike Trunks, remained perfectly still and at his ease, whilst his pupil ended up kissing the floor. In the midst of being shook around Trunks saw a most curious look on his mentor's face. He looked happy... but there was an edge there too. Gohan was nervous!

It didn't last long though.

The elder Saiyan had firmed his jaw and if looks alone could drill holes in solid structures then at this very moment in time the duo would have far more to worry about than turbulence, because Gohan would have drilled a hole in the hull! Gohan's gaze was weighty and unrelenting. It was the same look Trunks had seen when his mentor had last fought against the androids and failed so miserably.

"You ready?" Gohan asked, gulping visibly. A bead of sweat fell from his chin.

Apparently he voiced the question more for his own benefit.

"Yeah. Hey, Gohan?" Trunks asked.

"Hmm?"

"Everything will work out, don't worry."

Trunks steadied himself for the first time since their descent began and flashed his mentor a warm smile with as much confidence as he could muster in the face of the unknown. Gohan let loose an exhale of breath and clapped Trunks on the shoulder, silently thanking him.

"I'll make sure of it." Gohan whispered in reply.

The scene that awaited the Saiyan duo had a noticeably more direct impact on Gohan than it did on Trunks, with the former gazing upon the green seas and sky with wide eyes filled with what Trunks could only say was childhood wonder. These where the scenes of his childhood; right now memories of the battles he had fought on the original Namek where flashing through his mind. Finding znd befriending the little Namekian Dende, seeing Piccolo again after his death against the Saiyans, fighting alongside Vegeta, running for his life with Krillin at his side...

Gohan lost much when the androids killed his friends, and all they left for him where memories and ghosts.

When he bent down to place his hand on the bluish-coloured grass he started laughing, seemingly appearing to have calmed his nerves somewhat. He ran towards the edge of the cliff their ship had touched down upon and stared off towards the tree-dotted horizon, suddenly looking very surprised.

"I sense a number of power-levels coming this way." Trunks noted calmly. "I don't think they're fighters."

"No, they aren't. They aren't strong enough. Wait! Is that...? It is! Follow me, Trunks!"

He wasn't really given much of a choice in the matter. Gohan ignited his aura and flew into the sky! He flew so quickly and so far in so short a time Trunks was almost left behind, with Gohan appearing as little more than an orange-clad figure in the distance; one who was steadily widening the gap. By the time Trunks caught up Gohan and a short Namekian where laughing as they shared a long embrace.

"Gohan!? Is that really you?"

"Dende! It's been far too long."

The two old friends caught up briefly before Gohan explained the reason for his visit. Trunks sat in silence throughout the exchange, noticing that Dende accepted what was said without reservation or doubt. The atmosphere could have been cut by a knife however. The Namekians who arrived with Dende reacted differently; one broke down into tears upon hearing of Goku's fate, another clenched their fists and gritted their teeth upon hearing of Piccolo's death, whilst another paid his respects in silence for the people who had sheltered them following Namek's destruction.

Gohan finished the tail by recounting his last disastrous encounter with the mechanical duo, noting that it was that battle that cost him his arm, which Dende glanced at sadly. Trunks hung his head upon hearing Gohan's tale; he had been unconscious throughout the final stage of that last battle and was only now hearing how close they had come to death, and how fiercely Gohan had fought to ensure they both survived to fight another day.

"I'm so sorry, Gohan." Dende claimed, with tears in his eyes. "I wish there was something I could do to- Wait, I know! Here, stand still."

Dende placed his hands close to Gohan's missing arm and concentrated. Trunks sensed the Namek's power increase. Mere moments later the limb, once blown to bits in a wide-spread bombing by the androids, was completely restored; blue wristband and all! Gohan flexed the fingers and made a fist. The look on his face was priceless; he didn't have the words to express his gratitude.

"I forgot you could actually do that. Thank you, Dende."

"I'll hopefully be able to do more." Dende replied. "Come with me. I'll ask the Grand Elder for permission to use the Dragon Balls. You see, we upgraded Porunga after what happened with Frieza; he can wish back multiple people at once now! We could revive everyone the androids have killed!"

And the implications of this revelation struck the duo speechless.

* * *

As I mentioned at the very beginning the next chapter will be one of those "specials" I talked about last chapter, so it won't actually be a continuation of the main story of Hope Rekindled, but rather a form of spin-off. Consider it to be similar to the Dragon Ball Z movies in terms of plot and time-line placement. What will it entail? You'll have to wait and see! Thanks for reading. Any comments or advice is, as always, very welcome.


End file.
